Economists predict moderate growth in Michigan

University of Michigan economists say they expect the state to stay along a path of moderate growth during the next two years.

AP

University of Michigan economists say they expect the state to stay along a path of moderate growth during the next two years.

The annual November forecast of the Michigan economy came Friday from George Fulton and colleagues Joan Crary and Donald Grimes. The economists at the Ann Arbor school say the state will add 111,000 jobs during 2013 and 2014 after seeing about 165,000 job gains since the end of 2009.

Fulton is director of the school's Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics. He says: "For many reasons, it's not hard to feel upbeat about the Michigan economy."

Fulton notes, however, that the rebound from the recession hasn't been nearly as robust as most past episodes of recovery. He says the current recovery is a "long haul."